Utah is sprawling with timeshare resorts. Whether for winter or summer activities staying in a timeshare is very cost effective way to make sure the whole family is comfortable with the accommodations.

Fishing, boating, and swimming at Jackson Flat Reservoir is going to be great this summer!

An aerial view of Jackson Flat Reservoir which reached 3000 acre feet of storage the first week of April. Photo by Matt Brown.

An aerial view of Jackson Flat Reservoir which reached 3000 acre feet of storage the first week of April. Photo by Matt Brown.

The Jackson Flat Reservoir reached 3000 acre-feet of storage the first week in April. That is just 61 acre-feet short of 1 billion gallons of storage. From an airplane view (see accompanying photo by Matt Brown) you can see that the actual footprint of the reservoir has increased substantially from last year. Per agreement, the Kanab Irrigation Company began taking the Kanab Creek water into their system on April 1, but there was still more than 1000 gallons per minute going into the reservoir.

Kane County Water Conservancy District (KCWCD) General Manager Mike Noel said that “even in one of the driest years on record in southern Utah, we have been able to store at least 3000 acre feet of water for use on the farms, gardens and orchards in the area.”

Dirk Clayson, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the KCWCD and a member of Kanab Irrigation Company, stated: “the irrigation company and its members are pleased with the water that has been stored for the growing season in what otherwise could have been a disastrous year for farming. “

Noel told the SUN that,
“The KCWCD is still waiting on the Army Corps of Engineers to release the final Area of Potential Effects (APE) to Native American artifacts on the land adjacent to the reservoir owned by the KCWCD. This information should be available in the next two weeks.”

Until that information is forthcoming, the reservoir will remain closed to recreational activities, including fishing, although the public is welcome to travel on the existing roads and near the reservoir. The area is also open to OHVs on existing roads only. Open hours are 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Access to the reservoir may be posted closed at times throughout the year.

Although fishing hasn’t formally opened at the reservoir due the APE issue, the local public have been fly and spin casting, getting ready for the grand opening. The KCWCD recently discovered there are some beautiful trout in the reservoir. The potential to have superior, self-sustaining fisheries on the pond is going to be a major part of the long-term recreational plans for the reservoir. Rainbow trout, largemouth bass and catfish have been planted in the reservoir. Anglers in the area have caught several beautiful trout and released them back into the reservoir. How to manage the fishing on the reservoir is something the KCWCD wants local anglers to decide. To that issue, a meeting with local anglers, boaters, and anyone interested in fishing and boating on the reservoir, is being planned for the week of April 27. The time and location of the meeting will be posted on the KCWCD website at kcwcd.com. Any comments or questions on the use of the reservoir can be answered by calling 435-644-3997.